Study reveals the uni courses that’ll make you rich - and those that won’t

Studying medicine and dentistry will make you the richest after university with graduates earning an average of £46,700 according to new research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies.

The analysis by the IFS, commissioned by the BBC, looked at the annual earnings of graduates by subject, five years after graduating.

Those studying medicine and dentistry, economics, mathematics, veterinary science and engineering and technology were revealed to be the top earners post university with all earning over £30,000 a year on average.

Not all subjects were revealed to be as lucrative for graduates though with those studying the arts and design earning the least with an average of £20,100 a year.

Graduates in agriculture studies were also only likely to take home an average of £22,000.

Mass communication graduates were likely to earn an average of just £22,300.

Speaking in a comment piece for the BBC Dr Jack Britton from the IFS said: “The big decision about what to study at university can be very important for future earnings.

“Five years after graduation, the income gap between students who studied the subjects that attract the highest and lowest salaries can be considerable.

“Crucially, these differences are smaller, but remain significant, even when students with similar A-level grades are compared.

Dr Britton added, “As careers progress the gaps get bigger, with graduates of the high-earning subjects pulling even further away.”

The study also found how graduates from the 24 Russell Group universities (which includes London School of Economics, University of Oxford and University of Cambridge) earn about 40 per cent more than graduates from other universities. This is an average of £33,500.

The gender divide was also apparent in the research which found that overall male graduates earn more than female graduates.